New revised Landing & Separation Procedure

[Lawndart]

Following the Thunderbird Pitch as the turn to downwind is completed...

Straight from the Ops manual revision 4:

Plan Downwind, Base and Final at 250, 200 and 150 knots respectively for separation planning purposes. Each pilot shall establish Downwind at 250 knots and 1,500ft as quickly as possible after the Pitch, and then hit 200 knots during a continuous Base turn and line up on Final approach established at 150 knots. The descent from pattern altitude of 1,500ft and the initiation of the base turn commences when the preceding aircraft is halfway through its continuous turn to final (approximately 45 degrees off your nose and descending, spacing permitting). Each pilot shall lower the landing gear, deploy speedbrakes and go full flaps abeam the runway threshold (while still on downwind) and maintain 250 knots. The descent from pattern altitude of 1,500ft will begin for each pilot as the base turn is started. Lead calls the base (point) at his discretion by “1’s Base, Gear Down”. The wingmen call the initiation of their turns by “2’s Gear Down” (3, 4, 5, 6 etc). Note that the speed is maintained and the aircraft configured abeam the threshold. The base turn, speed reduction and descent are all started by referencing the preceding aircrafts spacing and in cockpit reference.

[Burner]

Cool, we were always kind of guessing on the finer points of that part of the show.